How to Ask for and Understand Directions in Chinese

Exploring Chinese-speaking countries can be quite an adventure, but if you want to be sure to see everything on your list, you need to know how to ask for directions and how to understand the directions you are given. After all, if you don't know how to understand what you're told, you might miss the very things you hoped to see.

The first thing you need is to know how to ask for directions. To get help you can say máfan nín, wŏ kĕyĭ gēn nín wènlù ma? (Excuse me, may I ask you for directions?). Once you have their attention you'll need to know the following the directions given in Chinese.

yuăn (far)

jìn (close)

pángbiān (next to)

qiánmiàn (in front of)

hòumiàn (behind)

fùjìn (nearby)

dōng (east)

xī (west)

nán (south)

bĕi (north)

yòu (right)

zuŏ (left)

zài lù kŏu (around the block)

zài guăi jiăo (at the corner)

yìzhízŏu (keep going straight)

wàng yòu guăi (turn right)

wàng zuŏ guăi (turn left)

Here are some questions that might come in handy when you need directions.